“Do you understand what you are saying yourself, my child?”

“Yes, papa.”

“What does it mean, Daisy?”

“Only, papa, I want you to know that I belong to the Lord Jesus.”

“Does that imply that you will not belong to me any more?”

“O no, papa!”

“Why do you tell it me, then?”

“Papa, Jesus says he will be ashamed of those who are ashamed of him; I will not be ashamed of him; so I want you to know what I am.”

“But, Daisy, you and I must come to an understanding about this,” said Mr. Randolph, taking a chair.  “Does this declaration mean that you are intending to be something different from what I like to see you?”

“I do not know, papa.”

“You do not!  Does it mean that you are proposing to set up a standard of action for yourself, independent of me?”

“No, papa.”

“What then, Daisy?”

“Papa, I do not quite know what you mean by a standard.”

“I will change the word.  Do you mean that your purpose is to make, henceforward, your own rules of life?”

“No, papa; I do not mean that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Papa,” said Daisy, very deliberately, “if I belong to my Saviour,—­you know,—­I must follow his rules.”

“Daisy, I shall not cease to require obedience to mine.”

“No, papa,—­but——­” said Daisy, colouring.

“But what?”

“I don’t know very well how to say what I want, papa; it is difficult.”

“Try.”

“Papa, you will not be displeased?”

“That depends upon what you have to say.  Daisy.”

“Papa, I do not mean to displease you,” said the child, her eyes filling with tears.  “But—­suppose——­”

“Well,—­suppose anything.”

“Suppose those rules should be different from your rules?”

“I am to be the judge, Daisy.  If you set up disobedience to me, on any pretext, you know the consequences.”

Daisy’s lip trembled; she put up her hands to her face and burst into tears.  She could not bear that reminder.  Her father took one of her hands down and kissed the little wet cheek.

“Where are you going to find these rules, Daisy,” he said kindly, “which you are going to set up against mine?”

“Papa, I do not set them up.”

“Where do you get them?”

“Only in the Bible, papa.”

“You are a little child, Daisy; you are not quite old enough to be able to judge properly for yourself what the rules of that book are.  While you are little and ignorant, I am your judge, of that and everything else; and your business is to obey me.  Do you understand that?”

“But, papa——­”

“Well—­what?”

“Papa, I am afraid you will be angry.”

“I do not think I shall.  You and I had better come to an understanding about these matters.  Say on, Daisy.”  “I was going to say, papa—­”